The Suicide Squad

By: Maggie Stankiewicz

The Suicide Squad is pure chaos. It’s a gruesome and adulterated romp busting at the seams with more characters than any viewer can keep track of – and it’s better for it. The film often feels pulled directly from writer-director James Gunn’s mind, aligning perfectly with the story’s inherent irreverence. The Suicide Squad circumvents the pitfalls of other DC films by leaning heavily into the universe’s grittiness without ever taking itself too seriously, making itself a contender for the best DCU movie.

Beloved villains Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Peacemaker (John Cena), Bloodsport (Idris Elba) and a stable of other criminals serving their time at Belle Reve are invited to join a covert operation called Task Force X. Task Force X is fronted by Amanda Waller (Viola Davis), who also commands the titular Suicide Squad, which “rehabilitates” super-criminals with chips implanted in their heads. Waller’s reputation precedes her, and her mission for Task Force X will bring our motley crew of antiheroes to the island of Corto Maltese.

Task Force X is comprised of beloved characters from DC comics, some of whom are familiar to fans of DC’s cinematic universe while others make their debut. There’s Harley Quinn, Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman), Weasel (Sean Gunn), Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), T.D.K. (Nathan Fillion) and a dozen more superpowered malefactors. This special task force is working concurrently with another group of criminals with Bloodsport at the helm.

Bloodsport’s squad is home to the internet’s favorite fish-human hybrid King Shark (Sylvester Stallone), Peacemaker, Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian) and Ratcatcher II (Daniela Melchior). Yes, there are arguably too many characters to keep track of, but this contributes to the film’s secret weapon – the way it embraces pandemonium. These two groups are working towards the common goal of infiltrating a prison that houses a powerful extraterrestrial creature. Our first group, Task Force X, is the beta team…Waller’s expendables helping clear the path for Bloodsport’s platoon.

This comes as a disappointment to fans who tune in for a glimpse of Harley Quinn, as her unit is more responsible for the B-plot of the film. It often feels as though this soft reboot of the original Suicide Squad failure is punishing the first generation’s antiheroes for the previous filmmakers’ missteps. Harley Quinn deserves more screen time, but King Shark sure is cute in a homicidal kind of way. This wild plot also provides audiences with ample opportunities to see the carnage candy they’d expect from Gunn’s signature edgy, as he leans into the freedom DC gave him with his R-rating and mature characters.

The Suicide Squad will have you questioning your sanity. Why are you laughing when that man’s arm is being ripped off? Why is the nightmare fuel known as Weasel also cute, in an overgrown feral cat kind of way? These are the things The Suicide Squad will force you to confront and interrogate within yourself during its two-hour and twelve-minute run time. Those are the hallmarks of a damn good time. This is one wild ride you don’t want to miss.